Casting the Line. 203 



the worm. On such occasions, a minnow which 

 managed to escape after receiving a wound from 

 the hook, would go whirling through the water 

 in gyrations closely resembling those produced by 

 the spinning-minnow. 



No one should experience much difficulty in. 

 casting the line. The action may be fairly de- 

 scribed as an overhand sweep, in which the bait, 

 starting from a point near to the angler's own 

 position, marks out a semicircle in its forward 

 movement, and, through the gradual lowering of 

 the point of the rod, as a check upon the impulsive 

 swing, falls without noise or splash at the spot 

 desired. The great desideratum in this, as in all 

 bait - fishing, is gentleness in casting, so as to 

 avoid injury to the bait and alarm to the fish; 

 and the angler will attain to this the more readily, 

 if in throwing the line, he can manage to keep the 

 minnow from getting behind him. It is true that 

 this is not always possible without spoiling the 

 cast altogether. In stormy weather, with a con- 

 trary wind, for instance, it may be necessary to 

 cast more from the shoulder in order to give the 

 line an impetus sufficient to send it forward ; but 

 in ordinary circumstances there need be no call 

 for the backward movement. 



The minnow, like the worm, is fished both up- 

 stream in a clear water and down-stream in a full 



